Kiwi Curated
City or Outskirts? These Weekend Getaways in the US and Canada Offer Either
by Joy Pecknold“What’s up this weekend?” is undoubtedly one of the most commonly asked questions. There are weekends for staying put and there are weekends for getting away from it all. To help with the latter, we’ve selected some of the best weekend getaways in the US and Canada. These destinations are especially enticing because they offer weekenders a choice of settings: city or outside the city. Touch down and stick around, or hop in a car and head further into nature.
Everything you need for a stellar City of Angels weekend, Conrad Los Angeles has it—rooftop pool and restaurant, celebrity chef José Andrés, spa, proximity to cultural venues including MOCA and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. For those who want to tack on more time or would rather opt for a beach weekend entirely, Malibu Beach Inn is an hour’s drive from either downtown or LAX. Here, you can enjoy Carbon Beach views from lots of different angles—from your room’s balcony, the restaurant, or a lounger dug into the sand. The Malibu Pier’s shops and eateries are only a short stroll away.
Home to fun food halls and hundreds of breweries, the Mile High City has plenty to pack a weekend with. Stay at Hotel Teatro, across from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and you’re walking distance from historic Larimer Square. Continue on a little further and you’ll find the cool Free Market and Milk Market at Diary Block. Another five-minute stroll and you’ll reach Coors Field where the Colorado Rockies play. Speaking of the Rockies, the iconic mountain range is right there. A two-hour drive west of Denver takes you to Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa for winter skiing, summer biking and hiking, and year-round mountain views and outdoor pool swims.
History buffs and sports fans will love a weekend in Beantown. For the former, there’s the Freedom Trail, USS Constitution and Boston Common. Interests overlap at Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in the U.S., and when the Sox aren’t playing, there’s the Celtics and Bruins to see. Just 10 minutes from the airport, Boston Harbor Hotel puts you in a prime waterfront location in the historic wharf district. If you crave a quieter seaside setup, drive two hours south to Cape Cod. On the aptly named Pleasant Bay, Wequassett Resort and Golf Club is a classic New England escape with private cottages, oceanfront dining and the Cape Cod National Golf Club right next door.
What they say about Paris is also true of New York: it’s always a good idea. Things to see, eat and explore are endless in the Big Apple. Perched atop Times Square, The Knickerbocker Hotel puts you close to year-round Broadway shows and Bryant Park, with its June to September Picnic Performances. If the country is calling your name, it’s about an hour’s drive north to quaint Bedford with its horseback riding and hiking trails. Here the Bedford Post Inn is just eight rooms, and a renowned yoga studio, set on 20 serene, wooded acres.
Arguably, all it takes to fall in love with Vancouver is a leisurely cycle around the Seawall on a sunny day. The West Coast city is renowned for its natural beauty, outdoor activities and a diverse, finally-Michelin-Guide-recognized food scene. A stay at the OPUS Vancouver puts you close to the Seawall—the boutique hotel in the Yaletown district will also set you up with an electric bike for your adventure and a Dyson hairdryer to fix any helmet hair upon return. While there are local mountains for hiking, biking and skiing, the largest ski resort in North America is just a two-hour drive away. Just down the street from a Whistler Blackcomb gondola is Nita Lake Lodge, a waterfront retreat that’s stunning in all seasons.
Cowtown serves up more than its famous rodeo-centric Stampede. Just partaking of the city’s expanding culinary scene is worth booking a weekend here, starting with the seven restaurants that made Canada’s 100 Best list. It’s only a seven-minute stroll from the highest-ranking Major Tom back to your room at Le Germain Hotel Calgary. Whether partaking of the RnR Wellness Spa or not, the boutique hotel is a calm urban oasis. For another 100 Best lister—that’d be Lupo—and big Rocky Mountains views, drive 90 minutes out to Banff and settle in at the Fairmont Banff Springs, a castle-style hotel nestled right in the national park, where the activity options are vast. In the winter, the area offers skiing, dog sledding and snowshoeing. In the summer, there’s hiking, kayaking, and golfing.
Practice your French without flying to Paris—Montreal is Canada’s most bilingual city. Oh, and the one with the most restaurants, 27, on Canada’s 100 Best. Follow in the footsteps of rock stars and royalty with a stay at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, which puts you conveniently downtown, close to shopping, dining and nightlife. If the countryside is calling you, head for the hills; Mont-Tremblant in the Laurentian Mountains is just a 90-minute drive away. Here, Hotel Quintessence is peacefully perched lakeside. Its 30 suites boast wood-burning fireplaces for cold winter nights and private balconies or terraces for basking in warm summer breezes. The region offers all kinds of different seasonal sports—from ice climbing to wake surfing.
Given its Canada’s most populous metropolis, home to the country’s only NBA team and glitziest film festival, Toronto has a lot to offer weekenders. Make Hotel X Toronto your accommodation and the what-to-do list grows longer. Enjoying Lake Ontario views, the unique property includes a rooftop pool and multi-level bar, screening room, sports courts, golf simulator, kids play center and Guerlain Spa, to name a few. If you’re looking to wind down, head out to wine country. Less than a three-hour drive from Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake is a picturesque town home to the renowned Shaw Festival and close to wineries. Here, The Oban Inn & Spa is a restored 19th-century property with 26 rooms, stunning English garden surrounds and, during the summer season, an outdoor pool for refreshing dips.